A large variety of devices are previously known for printing on flat articles or for printing on plastic drinking cups. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,628,811 discloses a cup printer including an endless belt ink cartridge. The cup printing assembly includes ink transfer rollers for forming an ink image from an ink reservoir and transferring the ink image to a cup. The ink reservoir stores the ink to be transferred. The assembly is characterized by the ink reservoir being an absorbent continuous belt member for retaining ink thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,525 discloses an imprinter and actuator therefor. The imprinting device includes a frame member having a power cylinder mounted thereon with a power arm ram reciprocable in a first direction. A rigid non-sliding linkage connects the ram to a pivotable yoke member carried by the frame which, in turn, is pivotally connected to a type of stamp pad carrying member. The type of carrying member is pivotable around a fixed point on the frame through a lost motion connection. The stamp has a vertical stamping movement and a horizontal inking movement. In the vertical movement, the stamp projects above a plane of the frame, while in the horizontal movement, it is brought into contact with a disposable ink cartridge carried by the frame. Other types of printing machines for marking flat articles are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,813, U.S. Pat. No. 3,577,917, U.S. Pat. No. 2,564,657, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,135,243. While these devices perform their intended function, each machine is limited with respect to the type of article that it can mark or imprint.